Friday, January 31, 2014

'Obama to visit Saudi Arabia amid tensions over Iran, Syria'



Obama is preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings.





From JPost.com - Middle East News

Compensation a difficult topic for Jewish refugees from Arab lands


Despite recent proposals, Jews who fled Arab states for Israel object to conflating their compensation with that of Palestinian refugees



From ynet - News

Report: Obama to visit Saudi Arabia amid tensions over Iran, Syria

President Barack Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March on a mission to smooth tensions with Washington's main Arab ally over US policy on Iran's nuclear program and the civil war in Syria, a newspaper reported.

Obama is preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings.


"This is about a deteriorating relationship" and declining trust, said a senior Arab official in discussing the need for the summit, which was pulled together in recent days, the newspaper reported.


A White House spokeswoman declined to comment.






From JPost.com - Headlines

Ms. Marvel Comics a lightning Rod for Islamophobic Intolerance

(By A. David Lewis) A. David Lewis Kamala Khan is not the first Muslim superhero. She’s neither the first American Muslim superhero, the first teenage Muslim superhero, nor the first Muslima superheroine.…



From Informed Comment

Egypt military: Airstrikes kill 13 Sinai militants

Egyptian military aircraft pounded suspected positions of al-Qaida-inspired fighters in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 13 people, officials said Friday, as fears rise over an increasingly well-armed insurgency that is striking with increasing regularity in the capital.






From Israel News

Morsi trial to resume in Cairo

A trial in which ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is accused of inciting the killing of protesters is due to resume in Cairo.



From BBC News - Middle East

Israeli Business Leaders, Fearing Boycotts, Pressure Israeli Gov’t to make Peace

(Via AFP) Israel concerned at growing boycott threat (via AFP) Israeli government and business leaders are alarmed by a growing international boycott movement and the likely effect of EU measures against exports…



From Informed Comment

The Fall of the New Year Throne 6:1

(By Juan Cole) The Fall of the New Year Throne (To read this sword and sorcery novel as it has unfolded before this installment, click here) Chapter Six 1. Zohak leaped back..…



From Informed Comment

US presses Russia on Syria weapons

US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked Russia to press its ally Syria into speeding up the removal of chemical weapons.



From BBC News - Middle East

VIDEO: No breakthrough in Syria talks

The Syrian government and opposition have traded insults after a week-long peace conference in Geneva ended with no firm agreement.



From BBC News - Middle East

Man with rifle arrested for threatening ex-President Bush

NEW YORK- A New York man sitting in a car that had a loaded rifle, machete and a container of gasoline was charged on Friday with threatening to kill George W. Bush after professing a romantic interest in the former president's oldest daughter, prosecutors said.



Benjamin Smith, 44, of upstate New York was arrested in Manhattan by the U.S. Secret Service, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.



"Bush will get his," Smith screamed as he was taken into custody, according to the complaint. Later, when asked about his marital status, he told agents he was divorced and "working on a relationship with Barbara Bush."



At a preliminary hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Griswold told U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman the government believes Smith was referring to the former president's daughter and not Bush's mother, who shares the same name.





From JPost.com - Headlines

Is there such a thing as a Jewish vote? - Jewish Chronicle









Is there such a thing as a Jewish vote?

Jewish Chronicle

On reading it, I was flattered to see that not only is my own research on the British-Jewish vote fully acknowledged, but that such research forms the basis of much, though not all, of what Clements and Spencer have to say on the subject of Anglo ...









From Jewish - Google News

Israel wages 'war between wars' as Mideast threats simmer

Watching old Arab enemies reel with sectarian insurgencies and international diplomacy capping the Iranian nuclear drive, Israel's military is confounded by a new challenge: quiet.






From Israel News

The Syrian love affair across the lines

The doomed love affair of Syria's own Romeo and Juliet



From BBC News - Middle East

Why Israel Fears the Boycott - New York Times









Why Israel Fears the Boycott

New York Times

JERUSALEM — IF Secretary of State John Kerry's attempts to revive talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority fail because of Israel's continuing construction of illegal settlements, the Israeli government is likely to face an international ...









From israel news - Google News

Concern Voiced About Media Repression in Middle East - Voice of America








Voice of America



Concern Voiced About Media Repression in Middle East

Voice of America

He says reports that journalists in Egypt are being harassed and arrested and that a proposed law in Turkey will increase restrictions on Internet access are an alarming turn toward repression in the Middle East and other countries where democracy is ...









From Middle East - Google News

The Water Levels Of The Middle East's Biggest Lake Have Dropped 95 Percent ... - ThinkProgress








ThinkProgress



The Water Levels Of The Middle East's Biggest Lake Have Dropped 95 Percent ...

ThinkProgress

According to the local environmental office in Iran, only five percent of the water remains in the biggest lake in the Middle East. Lake Urmia sits in the far northwest corner of Iran, and was once the sixth largest saltwater lake in the world ...









From Middle East - Google News

We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians - Fox News








AINA



We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians

Fox News

Some of the most well-known and influential leaders in the early church hailed from North Africa and the Middle East – like the warring theologians Athanasius and Arius, and the apologist Tertullian. It was for the library in Alexandria that the ...

The War on Christians in the Middle East









From Middle East - Google News

"מסמרו אותי לרצפה וחתכו לי את האוזן"



פעיל אוקראיני נעדר יותר משבוע והיום הופיע כשכל גופו מגואל בדם. לטענתו, גברים עם מבטא רוסי חטפו ועינו אותו. מנהיג אופוזיציה: "לא ניכנע להפחדות"





From ynet - חדשות

Egypt Sinai strike 'kills militants'

The Egyptian army says 13 militants have been killed in an air strike targeting an al-Qaeda-inspired group in northern Sinai.



From BBC News - Middle East

Kerry asks Russia to pressure Syria on faster chemical arms removal

MUNICH- US Secretary of State John Kerry asked Russia's foreign minister on Friday to put pressure on the Syrian government to accelerate the removal of chemical weapons, which Kerry said is not happening quickly enough.



Kerry met Russia's Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss what Washington considered to be "unacceptable" progress in moving Syrian chemical weapons, said a senior U.S. State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity.



"Secretary Kerry pressed Foreign Minister Lavrov to push the regime for more progress on moving the remaining chemical weapons within Syria to the port in Latakia," the official said.





From JPost.com - Headlines

החלה שנת הסוס: גם הסינים ציינו ראש השנה



הסילבסטר כבר חלף, אולם ברחבי העולם חגגו אתמול שוב את כניסת השנה החדשה - הפעם לפי לוח השנה הסיני. 2014 תהיה בסימן הסוס





From ynet - חדשות

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Israeli babies from Thai surrogates arrive in Israel

The first four Israeli families returned from Thailand with their babies, who were born through Thai surrogate mothers.



The Foreign Ministry had previously denied citizenship rights to these infants, causing an uproar earlier this month. The Foreign Ministry had said that according to Thai law, the babies were Thai citizens and it would be illegal to take them out of the country.



Around 90% of the babies in question were to homosexual couples.





From JPost.com - Headlines

As Gaza Tunnels Closed, Hamas Lost Cash, Israeli Official Says - New York Times









As Gaza Tunnels Closed, Hamas Lost Cash, Israeli Official Says

New York Times

TEL AVIV — Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, is in severe economic straits, having lost a major source of income in recent months because of an Egyptian clampdown on hundreds of smuggling tunnels, a high-ranking Israeli military ...









From israel news - Google News

Supporters of boycott of Israel's academic institutions ignore history - Washington Post








Washington Post



Supporters of boycott of Israel's academic institutions ignore history

Washington Post

Israel did not choose to occupy another people. The West Bank was previously occupied by Jordan, which used the territory's high ground for easy attacks against Israeli civilians. Israel's presence in the West Bank is the result of Arab aggression, not ...

Want to boycott Israel? 10 brands you can't use, from Pampers to Starbucks

Israel may face sanctions 'if peace talks with Palestinians fail'

Lawrence Solomon: Israel boycott will fail for same reason seal boycott succeeded









From israel news - Google News

The Show in the Snow: When an Israeli Ambassador Faced Off With a British Historian—and Won


It’s a familiar chain of events: A prominent scholar and public intellectual visits an elite college campus to speak to students. In his remarks, he shocks his audience and the Jewish community by questioning the right of the Jewish people to a state, and asserting that the Zionist treatment of the Palestinians is morally equivalent to the Nazi treatment of the Jews. Naturally, the address elicits strong condemnation from the local Israeli ambassador.


But this is 1961, not 2014. The setting is Montreal, where the famed British historian Arnold Toynbee, a specialist in international affairs, delivered a controversial lecture to students at McGill University. And the story didn’t end with an exchange of op-eds, press releases, and public apologies. Instead, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Yaacov Herzog, responded by challenging Toynbee to a public debate, just five days after his initial comments. On Jan. 31—53 years ago today—the two squared off at McGill’s Hillel House for an exchange that was broadcast live across the country and later that evening in Israel.


Continue reading "The Show in the Snow: When an Israeli Ambassador Faced Off With a British Historian—and Won" at...






From Tablet Magazine

The Tiger Mom and Her Jewish Husband Need To Save Justin Bieber


It’s never a good sign when a celebrity gets a monkey. It wasn’t for Michael Jackson; it wasn’t, one can argue, for Ronald Reagan; and it certainly didn’t presage anything good for teen heartthrob and Holocaust-awareness educator Justin Bieber, who was so unfit a caregiver to his capuchin monkey, Mally, that the German authorities were forced to confiscate the wee primate for his own safety.


Would that they could have done the same for young Master Bieber, whose annus horribilis has now spilled in spectacular fashion into 2014. He was arrested for a DUI in Florida. He’s now being formally charged—and may stand trial—for assaulting a limo driver in Toronto. Once he inspired viral videos of undying devotion professed by weeping women aged 3 and 103 (“and” is not a typo); now more than 100,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the poor little son-of-a-gun be immediately deported to the frozen North from which he came, where, disgraced, he will presumably take the black and join the brothers of the Night’s Watch. (Game of Thrones is coming back soon. Sue me; I’m excited.)


Continue reading "The Tiger Mom and Her Jewish Husband Need To Save Justin Bieber" at...






From Tablet Magazine

The Fall of the New Year Throne 5:4

(By Juan Cole) The Fall of the New Year Throne (To read this sword and sorcery novel as it has unfolded before this installment, click here) Chapter Five 4. Scheheranaz did not…



From Informed Comment

Waxman to Retire

Waxman made the announcement in a statement issued Thursday morning. Waxman, whose first campaign was in 1974, said he plans to retire at the end of 2014.






From Israel News

US to release Keystone pipeline review soon

An environmental impact review of the Keystone XL oil pipeline with Canada is close to being completed and will be released soon, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday.

"The EIS is in the final stages of preparation and we anticipate a release of the document soon," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.


The comments give the first insight into where the assessment stands. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry offered no timetable for the U.S. decision on TransCanada Corp's planned Keystone XL pipeline when he addressed the issue on Jan. 17 during a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart John Baird.


Earlier Baird, Canada's foreign minister, had bluntly told the United States to end the "limbo' on the approval process for the pipeline, conceding that Washington might veto the project.


The State Department official said the release of the controversial final environmental statement for the pipeline was "not a decision but another step in the process prescribed by the executive order."






From JPost.com - Headlines

Syria talks due to end in Geneva

The current round of peace talks on Syria is due to end in Switzerland later on Friday with little or no progress expected on core issues.



From BBC News - Middle East

Israel: EMS Attacked by Victim’s Son During CPR

While Magen David Adom and Ichud Hatzalah responders were performing CPR on a 90-year-old woman, her son attacked the team amid shouts to halt resuscitation efforts on Thursday morning 29 Shevat 5774. The responders arrived at Bnei Ephraim Street in Tel Aviv and found the elderly woman in cardiac arrest. According to the Ichud Hatzalah […]



From Yeshiva World News

Tony Blair's Uncanny Knack for Being on the Wrong Side of History - Slate Magazine (blog)








Slate Magazine (blog)



Tony Blair's Uncanny Knack for Being on the Wrong Side of History

Slate Magazine (blog)

It's not exactly breaking news that, particularly since the 9/11 attacks, many Western leaders have been inconsistent in their support for democracy in the Middle East, but few leaders seem to vacillate between military interventionism and defense of ...









From Middle East - Google News

New York – Cold-Weather Title Games Used To Be The NFL Norm

Bucharest – Romania Jewish Theater Roof Badly Damaged In Snow

NYC Mayor Won’t Attend High-Priced Super Bowl

New York City is co-hosting the Super Bowl this weekend but its mayor will not attend the nation’s biggest sporting event. Bill de Blasio will not travel across the Hudson River to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to watch the Denver Broncos face the Seattle Seahawks in a game that will showcase the nation’s largest city […]



From Yeshiva World News

Australian agency allows sand dump near Barrier Reef for coal port

Australia's Great Barrier Reef watchdog gave the green light on Friday for millions of cubic metres of dredged mud to be dumped near the fragile reef to create the world's biggest coal port and possibly unlock $28 billion in coal projects.

The dumping permit approval clears the way for a major expansion of the port of Abbot Point for Indian firms Adani Enterprises and GVK Power and Infrastructure and Australian billionaire miner Gina Rinehart.


Together they have $16 billion worth of coal projects in the untapped, inland Galilee Basin.


"It's important to note the seafloor of the approved disposal area consists of sand, silt and clay and does not contain coral reefs or seagrass beds," the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said.


Environmentalists, scientists and tourist operators had fought the plan, which they fear will harm delicate corals and seagrasses and potentially double the ship traffic through the World Heritage marine park.






From JPost.com - Headlines

Lapid: 10,000 Jobs Ride on Negotiations with the PA

Finance Minister Yair Lapid explains that if negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) do not lead to an agreement, many jobs in Israel will be lost as a result of an EU (European Union) community boycott against Israel. Lapid warns that in addition to the loss of jobs, Israel’s economy will be dealt […]



From Yeshiva World News

Tobacco Companies Challenge NYC Coupon Ban

Tobacco companies and three trade groups representing cigarette retailers asked a federal court on Thursday to block a new law designed to keep tobacco prices sky high in New York City. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan, challenges a city ordinance passed last fall that set a minimum price of $10.50 for every pack of cigarettes […]



From Yeshiva World News

"רוב המתנחלים לא יפונו בהסכם שלום"



שליח ארה"ב למו"מ הציג נקודות מרכזיות מהסכם המסגרת למנהיגים יהודים, שמסרו כי לפיו יוכלו כ-80% להישאר במקומם בחילופי שטחים. "רצועת ביטחון תוקם בבקעה"





From ynet - חדשות

3 Jews Suspected of Torching Arab Cars Detained by the GSS

Cleared for publication: Three Jews suspected of setting Arab cars on fire have been detained by the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet). One of the three is the father of three handicapped children and has been held by the GSS since Sunday, January 19. His wife has made an emotional plea: Please, at […]



From Yeshiva World News

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Terumah

Supporting the Supporter “Take for me an offering” (Shemos 25:2) The donations requested of Bnei Yisrael for the construction of the Mishkan are described as being taken rather than given. What does that mean? Moreover, Hashem is the Master of the Universe and all that it contains. Did He need contributions and materials from human […]



From Yeshiva World News

Parsha Potpourri: Parshas Terumah

V’asu li Mikdash v’shachanti b’socham (25:8) In Shir HaShirim (3:11), Shlomo HaMelech refers to an event which occurred b’yom chasunaso ub’yom simchas libo – on the day of his wedding and on the day of his heart’s rejoicing. The Mishnah in Taanis (4:8) homiletically interprets “the wedding day” as referring to the giving of the […]



From Yeshiva World News

Yahoo Email Account Passwords Stolen

Yahoo says usernames and passwords of its email customers have been stolen and used to access accounts, but the company isn’t saying how many accounts have been affected. The company said in a blog post that “The information sought in the attack seems to be names and email addresses from the affected accounts’ most recent […]



From Yeshiva World News

Vertluch: Parshas Terumah

This week’s parsha discusses the building of the mishkan. The Ramban raises an interesting question. Sefer Bereishis is called sefer Hayetzira (the book of birth) because it contains the creation of the world, the history of the avos and the historic foundation of the universe. Sefer Shemos, however, is referred to as the sefer Hageulah […]



From Yeshiva World News

Indyk to Jewish leaders: Framework peace plan to arrive in weeks - Haaretz








Haaretz



Indyk to Jewish leaders: Framework peace plan to arrive in weeks

Haaretz

The Obama administration will soon present a framework for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement that the sides may accept with reservations as a basis for a final deal by year's end, the top U.S. negotiator told Jewish leaders. Martin Indyk, the State ...

Peace plan would allow 75 percent of Jewish settlers to remain in West Bank ...

US Wants Peace by End of 2014, Indyk Tells Jewish Leaders









From Jewish - Google News

IDF strikes terror targets in Gaza

The Israeli military launched airstrikes at suspected Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip before dawn on Friday, the army announced.



"In response to the rocket fire at Israel, IAF aircrafts targeted overnight a terror activity site and a weapon manufacturing facility in the northern Gaza strip and a weapon storage facility in the southern Gaza Strip," the IDF said. "Direct hits were confirmed."



"Israelis cannot be held at the mercy of these hideous terrorists operating from Hamas Gaza Strip," an IDF spokesperson said. "The bases of Gaza terrorism and its industry of death will not be immune while our citizens are being attacked. It is our responsibility, right and obligation to defend Israel from Gaza based aggression."





From JPost.com - Headlines

New York – NY State Audit Finds Food Inspections Lagging

Montreal – Canada Woman Strangled By Escalator

Shaked Feels More Religious Women Must Serve in the IDF

Bayit Yehudi party Chairwoman MK Ayelet Shaked announced on Thursday morning 29 Shevat 5774 “Religious Zionism should be harnessed to recruit women because it does not make sense that the [security] burden fall exclusively on inductees to the IDF and the secular community.” According to date released by the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of […]



From Yeshiva World News

Microsoft said close to naming new CEO

Microsoft Corp is close to naming its new chief executive, with inside executive Satya Nadella the most likely candidate, a person with knowledge of the search process told Reuters on Thursday.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates may step aside as chairman, but would stay on the company's board, said the person who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly.






From JPost.com - Headlines

Obama, Bill Clinton to Talk to Senate Dems

President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton will speak to Senate Democrats at their annual issues conference. The session is next Wednesday at the indoor section of the Washington Nationals’ stadium. Clinton was widely praised at the Democratic National convention in 2012 for his sharp, concise explanation of Obama’s policies. The inclusion of the […]



From Yeshiva World News

Obama's Middle East Cowardice Confirmed - National Review Online (blog)








The Guardian



Obama's Middle East Cowardice Confirmed

National Review Online (blog)

Jerusalem — The eureka moment in Obama's Middle East policy, in the eyes of Israel and other U.S. allies in the region, came with the famous withdrawal of his red line over Syria's use of chemical weapons. From the vantage point of America's strategic ...

It is time for Middle East to police its own region

Obama sidesteps Middle East challenges faced by the US

Obama on Middle East: "We support the Syrian opposition, reject agenda of ...









From Middle East - Google News

Israel minister slams Abbas as 'No.1' anti-Semite

Israel's intelligence minister has said President Mahmoud Abbas is the world's most anti-Semitic leader following the departure of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president last year.






From Israel News

Chareidi Soldier May be Evicted from Elad

An IDF soldier assigned to one of the military’s chareidi units is having a difficult time at home, in his community of Elad. During recent weeks he received notices insisting that he refrain from returning to and leaving from their home dressed in uniform, suggesting that he inquire with IDF officials towards permitting him to […]



From Yeshiva World News

TSA Rejects Arming Officers After LAX Shooting

The head of the Transportation Security Administration says his agency has officially rejected arming officers in response to a November attack at Los Angeles International Airport. John Pistole made the comments Thursday following the opening of a “pre-check” application site for expedited screening at LAX. The agency is conducting a review of the shooting that […]



From Yeshiva World News

Video of Interest: Greenfield Chairs First Council Land Use Committee Meeting

New York – NYC Mayor de Blasio won’t attend Super Bowl

New York – Yahoo Email Account Passwords Stolen

Seattle, WA – Amazon Warns Of Possible First-Quarter Loss, Stock Falls

Washington – Obama Set To Name Vice Admiral Mike Rogers To Head N.S.A.

Apple, Samsung spar over potential US ban on smartphone sales

Samsung sought to defeat Apple's bid for a permanent sales ban against some Samsung smartphones, arguing in court on Thursday that Apple's request was an attempt to instill fear among telecom carriers and retailers that carry Samsung's products.

At a hearing in federal court in San Jose, California, Samsung attorney Kathleen Sullivan told U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh that the injunction would give the iPhone maker an opening to come back to court quickly and argue that newer Samsung products should also be banned.


"An injunction would create fear and uncertainty for the carriers and retailers with whom Samsung has very important customer relationships," Sullivan said.


Apple attorney William Lee said that a jury has already found that nearly two dozen phones infringed Apple patents, and that Apple Inc has lost sales to a direct competitor.


"The natural, inexorable result is an injunction," Lee said.






From JPost.com - Headlines

Court Dismisses $680 Million Lawsuit Against Yeshiva University


A complaint filed in July by a lawyer for 34 former students at the Yeshiva University High School for Boys against the school, members of its board of trustees, as well as several educators and administrators, which alleged several decades of abuse—plus accusations of a cover-up by the school’s administration—and which sought nearly $380 million in damages, was dismissed by a Manhattan federal court today.


Judge John Koeltl issued a 52-page opinion explaining the dismissal, which effectively said that too much time had gone by since the alleged abuses occurred: “Statutes of limitations strike a balance between providing a reasonable time for victims to bring their claims while assuring that defendants have a fair opportunity to defend themselves before evidence is lost or memories fade. In this case, the statutes of limitations have expired decades ago, and no exceptions apply.”


Continue reading "Court Dismisses $680 Million Lawsuit Against Yeshiva University" at...






From Tablet Magazine

Poll Shows Bennett Gains Popularity

A poll commissioned by the Knesset Channel conducted on Wednesday, 28 Shevat 5774 shows Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett has gained popularity among voters following a recent poll that showed his popularity was waning. The poll shows that the dati leumi party which currently has 12 seats would move up to 17 seats if elections […]



From Yeshiva World News

Obama administration nominates new NSA, Cyber Command boss

The Obama administration is nominating Michael Rogers, head of US Fleet Cyber Command, as the new head of the National Security Agency and US Command at a moment when US surveillance practices are under intense scrutiny.

"This is a critical time for the NSA, and Vice Admiral Rogers would bring extraordinary and unique qualifications to this position as the agency continues its vital mission and implements President Obama's reforms," US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who is currently visiting Poland, said in a statement.


If confirmed, Rogers would replace current director Keith Alexander. Rogers was also nominated as chief of the Central Security Service, the statement said.



From JPost.com - Headlines

How Geneva-2 Mutated Secretly into Bern-1 – Open to Iran, Off-Limits to EU and Mid East Delegates

“The biggest diplomatic fraud in a decade" was how one Syria watcher called Geneva-2 which was staged as an exercise in misdirection to conceal the real conference in Bern with Iran at center stage.






From DEBKAFile

Ankara Schemes with Tehran to Scoop US Diplomacy on Syria and Iran

Erdogan visits Tehran to mark the end of Turkish cooperation with Washington and the start of a new era for the two non-Arab powers to start dominating the Middle East.






From DEBKAFile

US Military Aid Injected to Foster Foothold in Damascus

The US reverses its non-intervention policy for Syria and decides to arm three selected Syrian rebel militias to gain a foothold in Damascus and help defeat Hizballah on Mt. Qalamoun.






From DEBKAFile

The Muslim Brotherhood Fights Egyptian Military with Al-Gama and Ansar Bait al-Maqdis Terrorists

The Muslim Brotherhood is fighting the Egyptian military with a mixed bag of al Qaeda Sinai terrorists of the Ansar Bait al-Maqdist, al Qaeda’s Sinai affiliates, Hamas and the jihadist Gama’a al-Islamiyya.






From DEBKAFile

Moscow, Washington and Brussels Lose Interest in Kiev Unrest

The Russians withdraw Putin’s aid promise to Yanukovych to avoid another Orange Revolution, however strategically and economically Ukraine is to Moscow.






From DEBKAFile

A Digest of DEBKAfile Round-the-Clock Exclusives in Week Ending Jan. 30, 2014

A Digest of debkafile Round-the-Clock Exclusives in Week Ending Jan. 30, 2014






From DEBKAFile

Qatar set deadline by FIFA over migrant workers

Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have been set a tight deadline by FIFA to explain how conditions are improving for migrant workers on the various building projects associated with the hosting of football's showpiece competition.



From CNN.com - Middle East

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Terror Suspect Challenges NSA Surveillance Program

Using evidence obtained under the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program violates a terror suspect’s constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure, the suspect argued Wednesday in a court document filed with help from the American Civil Liberties Union. In the motion filed in federal court in Denver, Jamshid Muhtorov also requested that prosecutors disclose […]



From Yeshiva World News

Israel soldiers shoot dead Palestinian teen in West Bank

Palestinian children carry placards during a rally in front of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, demanding the permament and unconditional opening of the crossing.






From Israel News

B’chasdei Hashem: No Injuries in Shomron Shooting Attack

B’chasdei Hashem, there were no fatalities or injuries when an Arab terrorist on Wednesday 28 Shevat 5774 opened fire at an IDF outpost close to noon. The gunfire rang out in the Binyamin Regional Council district between the communities of Ateret and N’vei Tzuf. Soldiers returned fire, killing the terrorist. The terrorist was reportedly a […]



From Yeshiva World News

Washington – Obama’s Shout-Out To Rubio: Not The Most Welcome Embrace

Los Angeles, CA – Nielsen: 33.3 Million Watched State Of The Union

London – New Treatment Could Reduce Kids’ Peanut Allergies

Poznan, Poland – Jewish Community Offended By Church’s Anti-Semitic Fresco

New York – Lifting The Minimum Wage Big Deal For Small Firms

Washington – After Threat, NY Rep. Faces Temperament Questions

Albany, NY – New York Reclaims Status As Nation’s 3rd Highest Milk Producer

After NYC Boy’s Death, US To Fund Tracking Devices

The U.S. Department of Justice says it will fund voluntary tracking devices for children with autism or other conditions that put them at risk for fleeing their caregivers. Sen. Charles Schumer announced the agreement Wednesday. It comes after the remains of New York City autistic teenager Avonte Oquendo were found in the East River. Schumer […]



From Yeshiva World News

Time running out as Bahrain tries to revive national dialogue

Bahrain prince seeks to revive national dialogue



From BBC News - Middle East

PM’s Bureau Chief: Yair Netanyahu Isn’t Dating a Non-Jew

Amid widespread reports that Yair Netanyahu, the 23-year-old son of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is dating a non-Jew, the prime minister’s bureau chief set the record straight. It has been reported that the young Netanyahu is dating a Norwegian national, Sandra Leikanger, who is not Jewish. They both attend the IDF Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. […]



From Yeshiva World News

A formal Jewish education? Sorry, can't afford it - The Times of Israel









A formal Jewish education? Sorry, can't afford it

The Times of Israel

You see, my friend's son attends a local Jewish day school. My son does not. But the boys are friends. So when the day school's annual “Bring a Friend to School” event rolled around, the other boy was eager to invite my 7-year-old son to join him. I ...









From Jewish - Google News

A Judaism of public service - The Jewish Journal of Greater L.A.








The Jewish Journal of Greater L.A.



A Judaism of public service

The Jewish Journal of Greater L.A.

I've found that asking Jewish politicians how Judaism affects their work produces replies more introspective and thoughtful than their usual carefully crafted responses. This was also the case with Yaroslavsky, who is beginning his last year on the ...

About Jewish Stereotypes And Video Games...

Bedbugs and Jewish Mothers









From Jewish - Google News

Like Yair Netanyahu's 'girlfriend,' am I Israel's non-Jewish enemy within? - Haaretz








Haaretz



Like Yair Netanyahu's 'girlfriend,' am I Israel's non-Jewish enemy within?

Haaretz

... Netanyahu's 'girlfriend,' am I Israel's non-Jewish enemy within? Non-Jews in the Jewish state are familiar with the vitriolic and bigoted responses of fanatics to Yair Netanyahu's on-off girlfriend: We are, apparently, the greatest threat facing ...









From Jewish - Google News

Despite Decades of Enmity, Israel Quietly Aids Syrian Civilians - New York Times









Despite Decades of Enmity, Israel Quietly Aids Syrian Civilians

New York Times

NAHARIYA, Israel — Two brothers, ages 10 and 8, were playing marbles outside their home in a town in Syria when a rocket decapitated the older one and critically wounded his sibling. Having rushed the surviving child to a local hospital, the mother ...









From israel news - Google News

IAF chief: Israel will destroy Hezbollah bases in Lebanon, even ones in ... - Jerusalem Post








The Daily Star



IAF chief: Israel will destroy Hezbollah bases in Lebanon, even ones in ...

Jerusalem Post

... Maj-Gen Amir Eshel Photo: IDF Spokeperson's Office. Israel accused Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas on Wednesday of putting "thousands" of bases in residential buildings and said it would destroy these in a future conflict, even at the cost of ...

Hoping to deter Hezbollah, Israel threatens Lebanese civilians









From israel news - Google News

Why Israel Will Not Need Massive Forces in the Jordan Valley - Huffington Post









Why Israel Will Not Need Massive Forces in the Jordan Valley

Huffington Post

As Secretary of State Kerry prepares a framework agreement for Israelis and Palestinians that will address the question of a military presence on the western bank of the Jordan River, some Israeli leaders have argued vigorously for the Israel Defense ...









From israel news - Google News

Former Christie Legal Aide to Run NJ Ethics Panel

A lawyer who worked in Gov. Chris Christie’s administration has been named to lead the state Ethics Commission, a job that comes with the authority to evaluate which ethics complaints are investigated and which are thrown out. Susana E. Guerrero was approved as the commission’s executive director in a closed-door vote on Tuesday night. The […]



From Yeshiva World News

Ben-Dahan: We Failed in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Race

Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan admits there were many failures in the dati leumi camp regarding the election of Israel’s new chief rabbis. Rav Ben-Dahan blames the rabbonim of his community, citing their failure to unite led to the defeat. Rabbi Ben-Dahan was speaking to a dati leumi forum in the Dead […]



From Yeshiva World News

Director Of National Intelligence Calls On Snowden To Return NSA Documents

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wants former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden to return the rest of the secret documents he took before making them public. Clapper told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Wednesday that Snowden’s disclosures of National Security Agency spying have caused “profound damage” by revealing surveillance methods to terrorists, who he […]



From Yeshiva World News

Report: DNA of murdered hassidic landlord found in kidnap van

Traces of DNA of Brooklyn real estate developer Menachem Stark was found in a van seized by police in the investigation of his kidnapping and murder.



The discovery was reported late Tuesday by Newsday, citing an unnamed law enforcement source familiar with the case.



The 2002 van with Pennsylvania plates was confiscated by New York Police two weeks ago. Stark was seen in surveillance camera video being forced into the van after a struggle outside his office.



Police said it appeared that the van was thoroughly cleaned since the abduction. However, Stark’s DNA was found on the interior of the van, according to Newsday.



Stark’s body was found Jan. 3 in a dumpster on Long Island some 16 miles from his office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Stark had been kidnapped the previous evening outside his office. He reportedly was suffocated before his body was placed in the dumpster outside a Great Neck gas station and burned, according to police.





From JPost.com - Headlines

Technician Cleared in Fatal Gilo Gas Explosion

The powerful gas explosion that claimed four lives in the Gilo neighborhood of Yerushalayim was first believed to be the result of human error on the part of the Supergas Company technician. Fire marshals have complemented their investigation into the fatal explosion on Shabtai Hanegbi Street, and they have determined that the technician did not […]



From Yeshiva World News

Fort Lee, NJ – GW Bridge To Be Lit Up In Super Bowl Colors

Republicans Say Obama Can’t Do Much Without Them

Congressional Republicans swiftly and sharply rejected President Barack Obama’s vow to act on his own if lawmakers won’t help him create jobs and narrow the nation’s yawning income gap, insisting he’ll accomplish little in a divided government without them. “The authority he has doesn’t add up to much for those without opportunity in this economy,” […]



From Yeshiva World News

R’ Druckman Shlita: The Kenos is Not for Eretz Yisrael but Toras Yisrael

Some 200 rabbonim affiliated with the dati leumi community attended an urgent kenos held on Tuesday evening 27 Shevat 5774. The event was a showing of solidarity with chareidi yeshivos organizers explained. The rabbonim gathered in the Tel Aviv Convention Center and unlike similar events in the past during which they addressed issues impacting the […]



From Yeshiva World News

Jordan: King to meet Obama Feb. 14 in California

The Royal Palace says Jordan's king will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in California on Feb. 14 for talks on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, Syria and ways to boost traditionally strong political, economic and security ties.






From Israel News

Letter from Jewish liberals slams de Blasio over AIPAC address - Jewish Telegraphic Agency








Jewish Daily Forward



Letter from Jewish liberals slams de Blasio over AIPAC address

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

The lefty mayor's pledge to be a loyal ally to the pro-Israel lobbying group irked some prominent lefty Jews. In an open letter sent to de Blasio today, 58 Jewish liberals told the mayor that “your job is not to do AIPAC's bidding when they call you to ...

Prominent Jews Criticize Comments To AIPAC

Prominent Jews Sign Open Letter to De Blasio Condemning AIPAC Speech









From Jewish - Google News

Trump Prominently Considers Run For NY Governor

Donald Trump, the nation’s most shameless political flirt, is at it again. This time, the billionaire real estate mogul, reality TV star and perennial self-promoter is toying with the idea of challenging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying the state’s high taxes and tight gun-control laws make the Democratic incumbent vulnerable. Trump has met with […]



From Yeshiva World News

היום החשוב בחייה של "הרוצחת הסקסית"



במשפט הראשון הורשעה, בשני זוכתה ועתה ממתינה בארה"ב להכרעה במשפט הרצח באיטליה של שותפתה. אמנדה נוקס - רוצחת או חפה מפשע?





From ynet - חדשות

Jerusalem – Nuremberg Documents Sold In Jerusalem Auction

New York – After NYC Boy’s Death, US To Fund Tracking Devices

Bayonne, NJ – Cruise Ship Passengers Recall Days Of Misery

נתניהו זכה להתנצלות, בנט לנקודות בימין



מי ניצח ומי הפסיד? בקואליציה מסכמים את העימות בין ראש הממשלה ליו"ר הבית היהודי. "נתניהו ממש התכוון לפטר את בנט, גם אם זה יוביל לבחירות", אמר בכיר בליכוד."הוא היה בתחושה שמעכשיו כל שר יוכל להיכנס בו אם לא יפעל". ובנט? "הוא יכול היה להרוויח נקודות בימין גם בלי ליצור את המשבר"





From ynet - חדשות

Senate May Delay Flood Insurance Rate Hike

Flood insurance rate increases for hundreds of thousands of people would be put off under a bill that’s steaming toward passage in the Senate, powered by coastal lawmakers telling horror stories of constituents at risk of losing their homes with the implementation of an overhaul of the federal flood insurance program passed less than two […]



From Yeshiva World News

Death penalty decision looms for Boston bomb suspect

BOSTON - The US Justice Department will decide this week whether to seek the death penalty for suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, accused of setting off two pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the world-renowned race.



US Attorney General Eric Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he would announce his decision before a Friday deadline set by a US District Court Judge in Boston.



Tsarnaev, a 20-year-old ethnic Chechen, is accused of detonating the home-made bombs along with his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed during a shootout with police several days after the April 15 attack.



Three people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed in the blasts, which marked the worst attack on US soil since Sept. 11, 2001. Another 264 people were injured by shrapnel, many of them losing limbs.





From JPost.com - Headlines

Obama, Jordan's King Abdullah to meet in California

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and Jordan's King Abdullah will discuss Syria and the Middle East at a February 14 summit at a retreat in California, the White House said on Wednesday.



Obama had met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the same location last June, the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage, California. Jordan is feeling the strains from the civil war in neighboring Syria, and is providing refuge to thousands of Syrians.





From JPost.com - Headlines

The Campaign to Get Forgotten Batman Creator Bill Finger His Due (And a Google Doodle)


In 2012, I called Bill the Boy Wonder , by Marc Tyler Nobleman, one of the year’s best Jewish children’s books. And it is! The book is about the essential role of a writer named Bill Finger in the creation of Batman. Nobleman lays out the way Finger came up with Batman’s and Robin’s origin stories, gave Bruce Wayne his name, gave Batman his cape and hood, named Gotham City, wrote the first comic and much more.


But you’ve probably never heard of him. Bob Kane, the man the world considers Batman’s creator, suppressed information about Finger’s integral role. (As the blog Comics Alliance put it, “When it comes to the greatest supervillain in Batman’s history, the Joker is a distant second behind Bob Kane.”)


Continue reading "The Campaign to Get Forgotten Batman Creator Bill Finger His Due (And a Google Doodle)" at...






From Tablet Magazine

Chasdei Naomi to Lapid: Enough Talk! Time for Action

In response to media events held on Tuesday 27 Shevat by the ministers of finance, health, education and welfare in which they addressed nutrition for children in Israel, Yosef Cohen, who heads the Chasdei Naomi organization, called on the ministers to “stop talking and begin doing something!” Speaking at a Beersheva press conference, Finance Minister […]



From Yeshiva World News

Baghdad bombs and shooting kill at least 19

BAGHDAD - Car bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of the Iraqi capital and a shooting killed at least 19 people on Wednesday, police said, driving the death toll so far this month to nearly 1,000, according to Iraq Body Count.



No group claimed responsibility for the blasts, but members of the country's Shi'ite majority are often targeted by Sunni Islamist insurgents, some linked with al-Qaida, who have regained ground in Iraq over the past year.





From JPost.com - Headlines

San Francisco – Facebook Fourth-Quarter Revenue Rises More Than Expected

הרצוג: בנט לא מציע כלום חוץ מהסתה



על רקע העימות בממשלה, נשא יו"ר האופוזיציה נאום מדיני שבו תקף את האגף הימני בממשלה. "בנט, אתה וחבריך הפכתם לאבות המדינה הדו לאומית"





From ynet - חדשות

Copy Paste: 'אובמה העתיק מנאום של בוש'



כותב הנאומים של הנשיא לשעבר מאשים את יורשו בגניבה ספרותית. במקביל, ארה"ב עדיין מתרגשת מהחייל שנפצע באפגניסטן וזכה לתשואות בקונגרס





From ynet - חדשות

התאבדה כי חשבה ששיערה הופך לג'ינג'י

Marseille, France – “Joe Crow” Graphic Designer Arrested For Disseminating Photo Of Anti-Semitic Gesture

Tel Aviv – Israel Seeks To Export Cyber Tech, Despite Risk

Washington – Man Who Lost Legs To Boston Marathon Bomb Meets Obama, Writes Memoir

Atlanta, GA – Helicopters Search For Stranded Southern Drivers

Manchester Misaskim Prevents Autopsy in Difficult Case

Manchester UK – It is almost unprecedented that an autopsy is waved for an apparent unexplained death. But thanks to Misaskim, a family of a distinguished 63-year old member of the community were at least comforted that an autopsy was prevented last week. For Misaskim, the story began when medical officials declared the man to […]



From Yeshiva World News

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Chareidi Students to Assist Survivors in Actualizing their Rights

Students in the Ono Chareidi Campus are working with Jerusalem City Hall. They are receiving the names and information of Holocaust survivors and making them aware of their rights and working to assist them in applying for various forms of aid they are entitled to and in many cases, they are simply unaware. College official […]



From Yeshiva World News

Obama tells lawmakers he'll veto any bill for more Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama reiterated on Tuesday that he would veto any effort by lawmakers to increase sanctions on Iran while the United States and other Western powers were in diplomatic talks with Tehran over its nuclear program.



"The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible," Obama said, according to the text of his State of the Union address, referring to diplomatic talks.



"But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed."





From JPost.com - Headlines

FULL TEXT: Obama’s 2014 State Of The Union Address

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift America’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades. An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did […]



From Yeshiva World News

Washington – Energy Secretary Held From State Of Union Speech

Live: 2014 State Of The Union

Washington – The ‘Fearless’ Speech Writer Behind Obama’s State Of Union Address

WATCH LIVE NOW: 2014 State of the Union Address

Atzeres Tefilla at the Kosel to Oppose Deal with the PA

Dati leumi rabbonim are calling for an atzeres tefilla at the Kosel in opposition to the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) that many fear will result in additional Israeli land giveaways. Leading rabbonim including HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Druckman Shlita endorse the event, which is scheduled […]



From Yeshiva World News

Key West Bank barrier decisions due

West Bank villages' fate rests on key Israeli court ruling



From BBC News - Middle East

New York – Shimon Peres, Hillary Clinton Honor Edgar Bronfman

Obama Vows To Act ‘Wherever And Whenever’ He Can

Declaring that upward economic mobility has stalled for millions of Americans, President Barack Obama is challenging a deeply divided Congress to restore the nation’s belief in “opportunity for all” — while telling lawmakers he will act on his own “wherever and whenever” he can. “America does not stand still and neither will I,” Obama was […]



From Yeshiva World News

Stocks Rise On Wall Street After 3 Days Of Losses

Investors’ jitters over emerging markets faded on Tuesday and U.S. stocks rose for the first time in four days. Global stock markets stabilized after three turbulent days when investors grew worried about growth in China and other developing economies. The sell-off began last Thursday, when a survey for January showed that Chinese manufacturing was set […]



From Yeshiva World News

Menachem Stark’s DNA Found In Van

The following is via Newsday: Investigators have uncovered DNA evidence linking slain Brooklyn businessman Menachem Stark to a van that police seized earlier this month in the investigation of his abduction, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case. The light-colored van was grabbed by police about two weeks ago after they spotted […]



From Yeshiva World News

Betar Illit Mayor Elected to Head Chareidi Umbrella Organization

Betar Illit Mayor Rav Meir Rubinstein was elected in a unanimous vote as head of the Forum of Chareidi Authorities within the nation’s Union of Local Authorities. The meeting took place in Bnei Brak with the participation of the heads of chareidi municipalities. The election meeting was hosted in Bnei Brak City Hall. As a […]



From Yeshiva World News

AP Analysis: After Bad Year, Obama Narrows To-Do List

Coming off the worst year of his presidency, President Barack Obama is out to convince the American public that he can do better for the country in 2014 — even as his influence wanes with every passing day. The president had a fine line to walk in Tuesday’s State of the Union address: projecting the […]



From Yeshiva World News

ADL’s Foxman: Pollard incarceration verges on anti-Semitism

The Anti-Defamation League’s national director, Abraham Foxman, criticized the continued imprisonment of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, calling it “on the verge of anti-Semitism.”



Foxman was quoted on the Pollard case in several Israeli news outlets on Tuesday, and echoed a statement he issued earlier this month.



Someone is trying to teach the American-Jewish community a loyalty lesson, Foxman asserted in an interview Tuesday with Israel’s Army Radio.



“That to me is on the verge of anti-Semitism,” he said.



In a Jan. 16 statement, Foxman said that when Pollard was sentenced in a plea bargain 28 years ago, many claimed that the sentence was anti-Semitic. An ADL investigation concluded, however, that there was no basis for such an accusation.



Still, Foxman said, the fact that Pollard remains in prison despite having spied for an ally shows that there is an “ongoing vendetta” against him.



Foxman added, “If it were only a vendetta against one individual it would be bad enough. But it has now become one against the American Jewish community.”



Foxman called for Pollard’s parole on humanitarian grounds and said his continued imprisonment was “an effort to intimidate American Jews.”



“And it is an intimidation that can only be based on an anti-Semitic stereotype about the Jewish community,” he said, “one that we have seen confirmed in our public opinion polls over the years, the belief that American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country, the United States.”





From JPost.com - Headlines

New York – Report: Stark’s DNA Found in Minivan

Washington – In The Gallery: Faces Of US Politics, Culture

New York – City’s Water Tanks Show Contamination, Neglect

Washington – FDA: Aleve May Be Safer On Heart Than Rival Drugs

West Bank – Palestinians Say A Gradual Israeli Withdrawal OK

Jewish Film Fest promises more variety - San Antonio Express









Jewish Film Fest promises more variety

San Antonio Express

San Antonio festival organizers scout Jewish film festivals elsewhere in the nation, but also encourage filmmakers to directly submit their piece for consideration. “There's always the question, 'What makes a Jewish film?'” Kellman explained. “It's not ...

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival adds venues to accommodate fans

Upcoming highlights of the SD Jewish Film Festival









From Jewish - Google News

Big Development Regarding Jewish Families' Lawsuit Against N.Y. School ... - TheBlaze.com








Haaretz



Big Development Regarding Jewish Families' Lawsuit Against N.Y. School ...

TheBlaze.com

The efforts of three Jewish families embroiled in a lawsuit against Pine Bush Central School District in Pine Bush, N.Y., over claims of anti-Semitism have been bolstered by the U.S. attorney's office, which filed a memorandum in federal court ...

US Attorney Files Statement Supporting Jewish Pine Bush Students

US attorney corroborates claim of anti-Semitism in upstate NY school









From Jewish - Google News

Candidly speaking: Pollard, American Jewish leaders and anti-Semitism - Jerusalem Post








+972 Magazine - Independent commentary from Israel and the Palestinian territories



Candidly speaking: Pollard, American Jewish leaders and anti-Semitism

Jerusalem Post

This disgusting potpourri of concocted rumors and lies is surely indicative of the determination of those within the American intelligence community who wish to make an example of Pollard in order to intimidate the Jewish community. Nor is it ...

Jewish group cites anti-Semitism in spy case

No, Abe Foxman, America is not out to get the Jews









From Jewish - Google News

Sochi Jews Gearing Up For Games - The Jewish Week









Sochi Jews Gearing Up For Games

The Jewish Week

The cities that host Olympic Games usually offer various Jewish sites and monuments that attract Jewish tourists who arrive in large numbers to watch the international athletic competition. Sochi also offers none of this. But the sprawling city of 400 ...









From Jewish - Google News

Pete Seeger's 7 Most Jewish Songs - Jewish Daily Forward








Jewish Daily Forward



Pete Seeger's 7 Most Jewish Songs

Jewish Daily Forward

But growing up in the Jewish enclave of West Rogers Park in Chicago, I always viewed him as a patron saint (or rabbi, if you will). And for many of us who grew up in secular households — religiously checking his albums out of the Nortown Public ...

RIP, Pete Seeger









From Jewish - Google News